Assemblyman wants to lure drone-makers, but keep drones at bay

A lawmaker wants to protect the privacy of California residents, and limit the use of drones in the state.

Ironically, he also says making drones could mean big business -- and lots of new jobs.

State Assemblyman Jeff Gorell said Tuesday that if drones -- similar to the military versions at Beale Air Force Base -- are going to be used in California, police shouldn't be allowed to use them any way they want.

"Where there's a hostage situation or a fleeing situation, they can use it for search and rescue," Gorell said. "But if they want to use it for sustained surveillance, they're going to have to get a warrant."

The Assemblyman is pushing a plan that would limit the use of drones, but he's also written a bill that he says could bring more than 10,000 jobs to California.

It would give tax breaks to the makers of the unmanned spy planes, if they agree to create the drones in California.

"So, I think this is an opportunity we can't pass up," Gorell said. "We need to address the privacy issue, but we have to be ambitious about trying to keep those jobs here."

On Tuesday at the State Capitol, two competing groups -- one from Kern County and the other from Ventura County -- each told lawmakers they want to host the testing and research sites in their respective areas.

"The whole idea behind the legislation is to figure out ways to safely integrate these things into the national airspace," said Eileen Shibley, of the California Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Coalition, the Kern County group.

The Federal Aviation Administration wants a total of six research and testing sites across the country, which would help decide how widely the drones should be used.

Proponents say if the domestic use of drones grows, it will equate to jobs.

"(Seventy-thousand) jobs will be created nationally," said Bill Buratto of the Ventura County Economic Development Association. "The average wage of those jobs will be $40,000."

However, Gorell said, he wants to make sure the state isn't paying a price when it comes to the issue of privacy.

The FAA will make its decision on the location of the testing sites by the end of December.

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